Girls' bowling Advance All Stars: These six keglers rolled over the competition

The girls' bowling All Stars, from left, are New Dorp teammates Breanna Barclay, Ashley Martinez and Lauren Zaluk.

The 2012 PSAL girls’ bowling season may best be remembered as the season with a slight interruption and abbreviated, but many fans will recall the campaign as another sign that the city’s best teams hail from Staten Island.

The local squads received some positive news regarding the postseason as the PSAL announced it would take the top 32 teams based on average except the bottom two teams in each division (unless it was a four-team division). In the past, teams needed to finish with a .500 record to make the postseason.

The season opened up in late September with an early-season showdown as Tottenville beat New Dorp.

However, the highly-anticipated second meeting between New Dorp and Tottenville was never played as Hurricane Sandy forced an early end to the regular season.

The playoffs were still on schedule and, as expected, Staten Island dominated the field. Tottenville (7-0) earned the top seed, New Dorp (6-2) was second, Petrides (3-4) was third, Curtis (6-2) was fourth and Susan Wagner (3-4) was fifth.

One day after all the Staten Island teams earned first-round sweeps in the first round, the top bowlers headed to Rab’s Country Lanes for the Borough Individuals.

Tottenville’s Jessica Monachino led from start to finish to win the coveted title over New Dorp’s Ashley Martinez. One week later at the Borough Individuals, it was Martinez who was the top Islander as the sophomore took second place.

The girls' bowling All Stars, from left, are Tottenville teammates Jessica Monachino and Daniella Coffaro and Curtis' Caroline Gottlieb.

The semifinals featured the top four Island teams. The championship match didn’t faze many as Tottenville and New Dorp squared off in the highly-expected title game.

After winning in 2010, but losing to the Central Cougars last season, it was Tottenville that came out on top this year. The Pirates narrowly won the A game and took the B contest to record a 2-0 victory for their second title in three years.

That match put an exclamation point to another fantastic season as many bowlers contributed to the stellar season. However, there were six bowlers who stood out above the field.

For their performances Tottenville’s Monachino, Breanna Barclay and Daniella Coffaro, New Dorp’s Martinez and Lauren Zaluk and Curtis’ Caroline Gottlieb have been selected as Advance All Stars. Monachino and Martinez are repeat Stars.

BREANNA BARCLAY, TOTTENVILLE

This junior earns her first All-Star nod after finishing second in Staten Island and the city with a 195.78 average in the regular season. The righty helped the Pirates win their second championship in three years by helping her squad win the tight A game by rolling a team-high 203.

DANIELLA COFFARO, TOTTENVILLE

Coffaro was one of the key cogs for the champion Pirates. The junior finished third on Staten Island and in the city with a 191 average during the regular season to be named an All Star for the first time. The righty, who boasted the city’s highest game of the season with a 277, finished fifth in the Borough Individuals and was seventh in the city event.

CAROLINE GOTTLIEB, CURTIS

While the Warriors earned a trip to the playoffs for the first time since 2009, this sophomore was one of the biggest reasons the squad advanced to the semifinals. The righty always rose to the challenge as Curtis’ anchor and finished the regular season with a 187 average. The first-time All Star also was third in the Borough Individuals and took fifth in the City Individuals.

ASHLEY MARTINEZ, NEW DORP

When Martinez became an All Star in her freshman year, one had to wonder what she could do for an encore. People found out that answer as the sophomore finished tops in the city with a 199.27 average in the regular season. The righty, who also served as the anchor for the runner-up Central Cougars, had some her best performances solo as she was second in the Borough and City Individuals.

Jessica Monachino led Tottenville to its second PSAL city crown in three seasons.Staten Island Advance/Anthony DePrimo

JESSICA MONACHINO, TOTTENVILLE

When looking back at her senior campaign, it’s hard to remember everything this Pirate accomplished. The righty won the preseason PSAL Showcase and put forth another solid season with a 190.60 average in the regular season after rolling the city’s second-highest game with a 255. The two-time All Star, who finished her freshman year with just over a 110 average, won the Borough Individuals and took third in the City Individuals and served as the anchor as Tottenville won its second title in three seasons. Lastly, Monachino won the PSAL Wingate Award in girls’ bowling which honors New York City Public High School student-athletes in their senior year for their outstanding achievements in their respective sports.

LAUREN ZALUK, NEW DORP

Zaluk becomes an All Star for the first time after helping lead the Central Cougars into the PSAL championship game. The sophomore finished the regular season with a 180.58 average but picked up her game in the postseason with a 186.33 average. Although her team ultimately fell short in the title tilt, Zaluk kept things close in the A game by blasting a 225 to lead all bowlers. The righty, who had the fourth-best game in the city this year with a 242, also finished in the top 10 in the Borough Individuals (fourth) and City Individuals.